


The Fall Play

by CreamofTomatoSoup



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Autistic Keith, Entitled White Boy Zarkon, Former Marine Shiro, Gen, MIA Matt and Dad Holt, Misgendering, PTSD, Pidge is trans and doesn't know it yet, Prosthetic Limbs, Racism, SJW Allura, Sweet But Badass Mama Holt, The Kind of Bigotry Where The Bigot is Racist But Not Homophobic, Theater AU, Which makes them a Special Kind of Asshole, copying dead family members, deadnaming, the rest are in high school
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:19:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7527121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreamofTomatoSoup/pseuds/CreamofTomatoSoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pidge applies for the role of Alexander Hamilton as a joke.  She wasn't supposed to <i>win.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fall Play

It starts out as a convoluted plan to humiliate the theater clique, which Pidge probably should have realized was a bad idea.

“I need your help,” Allura begs, with her unfairly wide-eyed innocent face. 

They're sitting, sprawled, on the floor of Allura's family house. The place is a mansion, more castle than home, and most of the rooms are helpfully unoccupied and excellent for sleepovers. They're currently hanging out in some large room in the attic, which Lance found by climbing through the window after being chased up a tree by Keith, and it has the added bonus of no uncomfortable old furniture or Allura's dad. 

(He's their principal. He's a nice enough guy, but some things students have ingrained too deeply in their psyche to remove, and one of them is to avoid the Authority Figures™ at all cost.)

Allura herself is the nicest, bossiest girl Pidge has ever met. She always manages to gain total control of whatever group she lands in, like a magical transferable royal card. She's the student council president, leader of Speech and Debate, and undisputed queen of the theater clique, and whatever mysterious power she possesses to hold all those positions at once is not to be trifled with.

She's also somehow become fast friends with Pidge, Hunk, and Lance. Pidge doesn't know how it happened, but Keith and Shiro got pulled into their group at around the same time, so she theorizes that had something to do with it. 

Or Allura needed new minions. Maybe her old ones weren't helpful enough.

“Anything for you, my lady,” Lance declares as he swoops in, finger guns blazing, eyebrows going ballistic, “How may this _extremely_ handsome knight be of service?”

Keith scoffs, Hunk grins just a bit behind Lance's back, and Allura shoves his face away without so much as pausing. He tumbles away, yelping in protest.

“I need you all to apply for the fall play,” she says. She sounds just short of desperate, which is really the only reason she would be asking for their help in the first place.

It pulls Pidge out of the lines of numbers on her computer. “What?”

“What?” Keith echos.

 _“Why?”_ asks Hunk.

Lance stumbles up, holding his nose, and makes a disgruntled noise. Shiro, to his credit, just gives her an attentive look. He doesn't put down his book.

“It's _Zarkon,”_ Allura snarls, going from sweet damsel to enraged warlord in seconds. Pidge admires her. “He's driving me _crazy.”_

The entire group, except for maybe Keith, groans. Allura rants about Zarkon almost as often as she talks about white cismale hetero supremacy and the patriarchy, and Pidge has learned to tune out some of Allura's righteous speeches.

(She tried keeping up, once, and she's smart enough to do it, except Allura talks damn fast and expects instant understanding. Pidge loves Allura dearly, but she thinks the Palestinian girl is used to far smarter company, and Pidge needs a notebook and a dictionary to make enough sense of Allura's talks to contribute. She'd love to help take down the patriarchy. She still needs to look up some words first; she's managed to hazard what “heteronormativity” and “cultural erasion” mean, but “cisgender” continues to allude her.) 

“Allura, none of us have acted before,” Hunk says, pulling Pidge out of her thoughts with good old fashioned logic. “I'm a mechanic, Pidge's a hacker, and Keith's-”

Hunk pauses, pursing his lips, eyes rolled upward, like he's looking for the right word. Keith's expression slowly sours.

“Keith?” Lance suggests brightly.

“What's wrong with _that?”_ Keith protests loudly. 

“Nothing wrong with being yourself, Keith,” Lance says, all suave and smooth, which means he's about to make a terrible joke. “I'm sure it's not your fault that you're so... Keith-y.”

_“What's wrong with that?!”_

“Cut it out,” Shiro says, but no one's in danger so he doesn't bother to use his loud military commander voice. Lance and Keith shut up anyway, looking disappointed. “Allura, what are you planning?”

Allura bites her lip, and Pidge prepares to be offended.

“I need inexperienced actors,” she says, and Pidge isn't really that offended, but the Hunk and Lance look ready to burst into tears.

“Well, excuse you,” says Hunk.

“I have experience!” Lance whines.

“I need them,” Allura continues, overriding their complaints, “because Zarkon's carefully explained to me that the lead male role usually goes to him because he's the more experienced and has the more 'believable background.'”

There's silence where everyone processes this.

"Did he really say that to you?" Hunk demands, his face twisted up. He looks disgusted, which isn't something Pidge usually sees on Hunk's face. Allura curls her lip and nods.

“ What a _pinche pendejo,”_ Lance says, slipping into Spanish. This is followed by a furious rant that has him waving his arms around and almost smacking Keith in the face.

“Are you alright?” Shiro asks her, very gently. Hunk looks ready to ask the same question, but Keith for once looks as confused as Pidge is.

“You're from one of the wealthier families in the area, though,” Pidge says. She realizes her eyebrows are furrowed in confusion and pretends to adjust Matt's glasses to hide it. “What's he talking about 'background'? Isn't he from the family you guys have been feuding with?”

Keith, Shiro, Hunk, Lance, and Allura all look at her with the same expression. It's somewhere between annoyance and resignation.

“He meant race, Pidge,” Allura says gently.

“Oh,” Pidge says stupidly, staring at her Palestinian friend. She glances down at her pale, freckled, white arms, struggles for words, and comes up with, "You know, I could probably hack into the school's database and fail all his classes-”

Hunk snorts and manages to cover his laughter with one hand. Lance says "Please do," at the same time as Allura says "Please don't."

"It might get you in trouble," Shiro says, and to Pidge's surprise, he actually seems a bit concerned about it. Shiro knows the extent of Pidge's hacking skills, and this would be a cakewalk for her.

"Besides, I want to beat him at his own game," Allura declares. "See how he feels when a bunch of people without a 'believable background' apply."

“What's the play?” Hunk asks.

“It's Hamilton,” Allura says.

"Oh my god," Lance says, looking starry-eyed. 

"Oh my god," says Hunk, for an entirely different reason. "He gave you shit over Hamilton?" 

"Right?" says Allura. 

“What's Hamilton?” Pidge asks, confused. 

Lance's starry-eyed awe becomes horror in an instant.

“Oh. My. _God!”_ he explodes. “You don't know Hamilton?!”

“Oh Pidge,” Hunk whispers, with shocked, sad eyes. He gets up and approaches her like she's an injured animal, and then gently envelopes her in a bear hug. Pidge squeaks and tries to escape, but Hunk just squeezes her tighter. “You poor, _poor_ child.”

“It's only the best musical to hit Broadway in _forever-”_ Lance says.

“It's pretty good,” Shiro confirms from off to the side.

"I've never heard of it," Keith volunteers, but because Keith lives under a rock no one is particularly surprised. 

“Help,” Pidge squeaks from where Hunk squeezes the air out of her.

“It's a historical retelling of Alexander Hamilton's life, his role in the American Revolution, his contributions to the United States when it was just beginning, and it's all told with hip-hop-” Allura rattles off. She frowns to herself and adds, "Although it does continue some traditions I really disapprove of. It gives him more credit than he deserves in regard to slavery, and it severely plays down his relationship with Laurens-"

"Relationship with Laurens?" Shiro asks, curious. "Relationship-relationship?"

 _“Air,”_ Pidge chokes out.

“Oh shit-” Hunk says, putting her down. Pidge takes huge gulps of air, hands on her knees.

“You'd make a good Hamilton,” Lance says, completely not distracted. “He was _thiiss_ tall-”

Pidge inhales and leans over further, like somehow she'll be able to escape to through the floor. Keith, on the other hand, looks at where Lance's hand hovers three feet off the floor and then glares at the other teenager. “He was taller than that.”

“Yeah, and how would you know?” Lance demands.

“The textbook would have said something about it.”

“It didn't say anything _against_ it-”

Pidge manages to get her breath back but tries to tune them out anyway. Because Lance and Keith only interact by bickering, this is fairly easy. Ignoring Hunk and Shiro is more difficult.

“Wasn't he five foot?” Hunk asks. He pats Pidge gently on the back as she manages to stand up straight again. “Five foot five? Something like that.” He thinks for a moment, and adds, “Pidge wouldn't cheat on his wife, though.”

“Pidge wouldn't even get a girl,” Lance hoots, taking time from his argument with Keith to turn back at grin at them both.

“I suppose you would know,” Pidge replies flatly.

Shiro, the traitor, just smiles at them and lets Lance howl indignantly. He's giving Pidge a thoughtful look though, like he's seriously considering it. Of all people he should know better; he's the only one who knows Pidge's real name is Katie and that she's a liar.

“I think you should try out for it,” he says.

Everyone in the room looks at him like he's crazy. Except then they all look at Pidge, like they're really thinking about it.

“What?” says Pidge, and then because they're still looking at her, “No.”

“He's got the right sort of personality,” Allura agrees slowly.

“He's sarcastic enough,” Keith says, thoughtful.

“And cunning,” Lance adds, and suddenly Pidge is swamped with dread, because if Keith and Lance are agreeing then she is going to be in a _lot_ of trouble.

“Not really that ambitious, though,” Hunk says.

“Hey,” Pidge protests weakly, but can't correct him without giving away the fact that she had hacked into the school systems to change her name and gender, wore baggy clothing, and has been pretending to be a boy for three years.

“He might surprise you,” Shiro says, because he's actually an honorable person with no reason to keep Pidge's secrets.

“What?” Lance asks eagerly. “Whatcha hiding, Pidge?”

 _“Nothing!”_ Pidge stumbles, trying to form a coherent guard. Then she blurts, “I haven't acted before,” because this will distract Lance and is also a solid, logical argument. “I'm- a computer person. Performing arts is not my specialty.”

“Oh it's easy,” Lance says, waving his hand dismissively. “It's just like lying.”

Pidge's stomach instantly aches with guilt.

“You've never gotten a leading role in your life,” Keith scowls.

“I got Mercutio!” Lance whips around to defend himself. 

“Were they typecasting?”

“Shut up!”

Allura waves at them to be quiet. “Will you help me or not?”

 _Be forced onto a stage to dance and sing or leave Allura alone to deal with a bunch of racist assholes?_ Pidge thinks, but the answer is obvious, no matter how much she tries to justify the other option to herself. Around her, she can see Lance, Keith, and Hunk glancing at each other and coming to the same conclusion.

“My lady, it would be an honor to-”

Hunk smacks Lance on the back of the skull, but adds, “Yeah, I'll help.”

“I'm in,” says Keith.

“I'll apply,” says Pidge. “It'll be nice to rub Zarkon's nose in it.”

“I would be honored,” Shiro deadpans.

“You're not in high school,” Allura says.

“I'll help coach, then.” Shiro lowers his book and presses his hand to his chest in a mangled version of a salute. “Lead on, princess.”

\---

_When Katie is fourteen, her brother bursts into the house with the biggest smile she has ever seen, flailing a handful of paper in Mom's general direction._

_“I did it!” he squeals, “I did it I did it Ididit!”_

_“What?” asks Mom. Her hands are full of dishes, soap smeared up to her elbows, and her eyes are wide with surprise at Matt's sudden entrance. Even Dad glances up from where he's scribbling equations on the table instead of wiping it down like he's supposed to._

_“I made the program!” Matt shouts, face open and bursting with joy, and he throws himself forward to hug Katie, the nearest of all of them, so they tumble to the ground in a tangle of limbs and laughter._

\--

It's nearly three in the morning when Pidge remembers the transcripts Allura had given everyone.

Her own copy is shoved haphazardly in her backpack, sticking halfway out between the box of USB sticks and the tiny satellite dish. Lance has put his to good use by attacking Keith with it, and now they're both fast asleep with their respective papers clutched in hand. Hunk has managed to put his somewhere responsible, and he's actually passed out in his sleeping bag, like a proper human being. Shiro and Allura are also fast asleep, and Pidge realizes rather belated that she's the only one up.

She dims her computer screen before picking up the script. She flips it open, skimming it aimlessly, not really reading it.

_-between the bleeding n' fighting-_

_-aggravate our allies to the south-_

_-Here's an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements-_

Pidge paused, near the end of the thick pile of papers. She backtracked a few pages, disbelieving.

_[HAMILTON]  
Mr. Vice President:_

_I am not the reason no one trusts you_  
_No one knows what you believe_  
_I will not equivocate on my opinion_  
_I have always worn it on my sleeve_  
_Even if I said what you think I said_  
_You would need to cite a more specific grievance_  
_Here’s an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements_

_[BURR]  
Sweet Jesus _

Pidge snorts despite herself. Someone stirs a little at the noise; Pidge freezes guiltily as Shiro raises his head.

“Pidge?” he mumbles.

“... Hey,” Pidge says back. “Go back to sleep.”

Shiro comes upright, so swiftly and quietly that Pidge almost squeaks. She manages to keep it down; this is hardly the weirdest thing Shiro does, she's supposed to be used to it. He rubs a bit as his eyes. The motion is stiff and unpracticed.

“You should go to sleep,” he murmurs, now fully awake. “It's late.”

“Later,” Pidge replies, glancing down at the transcript. “I want to finish this up first.”

Shiro gives her a look she can't really see in the darkness, but she can tell is there. She stiffens, but refuses to budge.

“...Alright,” Shiro acquiesces, “Don't stay up too late.”

“I won't,” Pidge says, even though it's already three in the morning. Shiro seems to accept this, though, and lays himself back down on his side. Pidge waits until his breathing slows before turning back to the script.

She flips towards the beginning, trying to find Hamilton's first line.

_… What’s your name, man?_

_[HAMILTON]_  
_Alexander Hamilton_  
_My name is Alexander Hamilton_  
_And there’s a million things I haven’t done_  
_But just you wait, just you wait..._

\---

_When Katie is sixteen, she picks up a pair of scissors._

_Her hair, when short, curls and flicks in a dozen cowlicks, framing her pointy chin and small-ish nose. It's close, but it's missing something, so she goes and starts rooting around in Matt's old room._

_She digs up a pair of Matt's glasses from among his old clothes, and after a moment's thought, picks out some of the shirts and shorts too. She manages to find a pair of shoes small enough to be her size. She doesn't pick up Matt's shoddy old headphones, he can keep those._

_The shirts are generally too big for her, and she needs a belt to wear the shorts, but otherwise everything works. Matt's glasses are weak enough to not hurt her eyes, and they don't really hurt the bridge of her nose like Matt sometimes complained about._

_She looks in the mirror. Matt looks back._

_“Don't worry,” she tells him, “You can live with me.”_


End file.
